Sunday's Cool

Especially when you spend the afternoon at the children’s museum. Reed ventured out from our arms to spend time in the area for babies and toddlers.

The Old Man and the Tree

My eco-minded dad, hugging the tree he planted and dedicated to my mom while working as a United Nations Volunteer
(Korat, Thailand – November 2009)

Happy birthday to my old man, who officially becomes an old man, at least by the standards of a five-year-old.

Me: "Olivia, guess what? Today is Grandpa Tsune’s birthday."

Olivia: "Really? How old is he?"

Me: "He turns 60."

Olivia: "Wow. That’s old. You’re not 60 yet – right, Daddy?"

My dad just returned from another international assignment with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program, which he got involved with four years ago after being excised unceremoniously from corporate life. He turned lemons into four work stints away – to Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, and most recently, Thailand – and a gig teaching Japanese at a local university. When I talked to my dad, he told me that he’s retiring from his overseas work assignments (although he did leave open a door by mentioning Michael Jordan and his “retirements”), which got me thinking about how nice it must be for him to leave on his own terms, especially since he was disallowed such a choice before.

Well, Dad. I wish you the best in the retirement that you can call your own. (I must note you’re not really retired given your professorship and all, but you know what I mean.) I’m so glad – and certainly envious – that you’ve had the opportunities to see the world as a one-man Amazing Race team these last four years. Welcome home – see you soon.

Mother of Advention

Crafty means to be deceitful, but craft-y…replete-ful: Mommy has been busier than Santa’s elves in getting the house ready for the holidays. She’s filled our home with decorations galore, including ones she’s crafted by hand. Olivia’s been captivated by this year’s creation, a lovely Advent calendar, born a simple clipboard, that’s perched high above a baby’s standing reach.

Leaps and Bounds

Get a Jump On from chris k on Vimeo.

Yule Blog

The presents-worthy members of our families – Eric and I apparently are hard to shop for, not that I’d use this blog as a forum to publicly complain about this bit of injustice – got together for a picture to commemorate our annual holiday gift exchange and dinner. In all seriousness, we’re thankful for the gift of friendship that Penny and Eric have bestowed upon us, not just last night but over the years.

December 2009

And now that I’m firmly entrenched in maudlinism, allow me to add how delightful it is to watch Olivia and A.J. interact with each other. Here you have two kids – quirky in their own ways – who have grown up together and are able to express themselves and their endearment for one another in a manner that’s stripped of pretensions. For those of us whose childhoods are but distant memories, the genuineness of these kids’ play is worthy of our admiration and emulation.

November 2004

Witching Hour

For service today, the youthful congregants of the UU put on a play about Befana, the Christmas witch of Italian lore. Reed watched from his perch in the Baby Bjorn (a baby carrier of Swedish lore) while his sister and her friends played their role of non-speaking cats. The production was bellissimo.

Meow, er, ciao!

Rug(by) Rat

The little guy donned his jersey to get in line for Invictus, where he was joined by my wife, who seems overly enthused about a rugby movie. (Oh, what’s that? It features a buffed-up Matt Damon? Seriously now, I don’t know what that guy has going for him besides his movie-star looks, keen intellect, wry sense of humor, political highmindedness, and adorable family.)

In the Wise Words of Homer

Homer Simpson, that is:

"Dough!"

‘Tis also the season for eating in excess. We’re part of what seems to be a dozen or so cookie exchanges, where you trade in all of your self-respect and self-control for several dozen or so holiday cookies. (Not that I’m complaining.) Olivia, A.J., and Madison got the ovens warmed up during a bake date last weekend.

Babe's in Toyland

With the standing comes some falling over, usually back on his derrière or off to the side, but when the opportunity arises, he’ll topple headlong into our loving arms or a bin full of toys.

Like Fine Wine

Today is my mom’s birthday. I raise a glass of cabernet sauvignon to her on this day, for she gave me life and guidance as to how to best live it.

We celebrated her special day a week early when we made the trip to my parents’ home in Michigan the day after Thanksgiving. Happy birthday, Grandma Randi (aka G.R., her nom de gâteau when we run out of space on the cookie cake)!

Meet Me Halfway

The optimist in Olivia sees her birthday as half full. Today is the mid-annum mark until (after, too, I suppose) her summer birthday. She and Adrian celebrated by eating nearly half of the delicious homemade cake (notice the five and a half candles – clever, my better half!).

Jack Be Nimrodic, Jill Be Herbivorous

Word of the Day (from Merriam-Webster’s)
Nimrod
\NIM-rahd\
noun

Meaning
1 : a descendant of Ham represented in Genesis as a mighty hunter and a king of Shinar
*2 not capitalized : hunter
3 not capitalized, slang : idiot, jerk

Example Sentence
Dad fancied himself a mighty nimrod after he captured the rabbit who had been eating our garden.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

On the way to school, Olivia spotted the word “hunt” marked on a stack of wood at a construction site. The word happens to signify the name of the wood’s supplier, but it got us discussing the practice of seeking animals for catching or killing. Without any prompting of any sort, here is what the child remarked as part of our discussion (I nearly drove the car off the road because I was laughing so hard):

"We’re vegetarians because we want animals to be alive; meat eaters want animals to be in their tummy."